Let's just get straight to it. This will be the last blog post in my current blog post about running. So done!
Yesterday I ran the Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon in Portland (Oregon). The day before, my 15 y/o daughter and I packed the car and drove the 4 hours it took to get there. The day before, we showed up at the health and expo to get said daughter signed up as a late entry and to get our race bibs. Right after that, the day before the race, I turned to my daughter and said, "I don't remember packing my running shoes in the car."
So we went down to my car and checked it thoroughly. Nope. No running shoes. Not the new running shoes that I just purchased the week before after receiving an in-depth assessment of my feet, my running patterns, my size, etc. Funny, but the supporting orthotics that I purchased and were placed in my new running shoes weren't in the car either!
What to do, what to do…. Really the only solution was to go back to the expo, back to one of the exhibits and humble myself and purchase a new pair. A new pair without my new, expensive, apparently needed orthotics. I needed to buy a new pair without the benefit of a minimum of a week's worth of breaking in. I was really embarrassed and humbled. And then came The Comment.
After the nice young guy helped me into an adequate pair of shoes (minus the supportive orthotics), I went to the check out chick. A gal that was probably a couple of years, if not at least a decade younger than me. She was a gal that was probably pretty good in her running shoe career. She inquired as to which race my 15 y/o daughter was running. "oh, the Half," I replied. "That's cool," said she. Then she asked, "Which race are you running?" I replied, "The Half." …. "Oh, good for you, honey," she said. Good For You, Dear… Good For You, Lady. Good For You.
I've heard this said before. Heck, I've said it before. And now, it came full circle. I knew exactly what it meant. I replied to her, "Yep. I'm the "Good for You," gal. So, I paid for the shoes left the expo.
You know the term. It really means, "Good for you trying even though you aren't really the type." It means, "At least you are trying…. most people like you are probably just hanging on the couch," and, "you're chubby but makin' the effort…." Good for you! Good for you!
So, me and my sweet daughter went out to dinner. We had a nice dinner, went to sleep early. I woke up about 5 times in the middle of the night after some less than pleasant dreams, and to check and make sure my phone's alarm was set right. I slept restlessly and wondered how'd I 'd do the next day. I was mad at myself for forgetting my new, important, supportive running shoes. I was pondering being the "Good For You," girl. And then we woke up and it was time to head to the race.
Man. What do I tell you about my first 1/2 marathon. Excitement? Anticipation? Fear? Apprehension? Yes. All of it.
I was placed directly behind the 3:00 pacers. If you're not a runner (or if you're a fairly inexperienced race runner, like me) the pacers are folks who, if you stay with them throughout the race, will help you finish in that allotted time. So, even though I didn't even know these people existed before this race, I was so excited because I now had a clear focus to keep me on track. 13.1 miles in 3 hours. It doesn't sound very fast. But remember, I am one of the "good for you, honey," girls. I was delighted!
I'll cut to the chase. The first 9-10 miles were pretty doable. Actually, I'll say that my first difficulties began around mile 9 - 9.5. I just lost complete energy. It seemed to have just left me. My legs didn't want to move, and when I made them, they seemed so heavy. My hips hurt, my left ankle hurt. I truly had no energy left. Around mile 8 I had grabbed two GOO packets, and had been drinking gatorade at each of the 1.5 mile stands, and I was just telling myself over and over again that those would kick in. I didn't want the word, "Bonk" to enter my mind, so I just told myself that the Goo and the gatorade were just….about…..to….kick…in…… Then a slight decline in the road happened. THANK GOD! Then my race partner (who was unknown to me before this race), Yvonne, came back to my side… YOU CAN DO THIS… Then there was just two miles to go. Then one. Then the last mile, that seemed like forever!
I gotta tell you. Along the way, as a grateful 3:00 paced chick, I witnessed SO MANY "Good For You," guys and gals. SO MANY! We weren't 20 year olds. We didn't have bodies that were unscathed by childbirth or decades of stressful life (hence the long work hours and extra tummy, etc) or blessed with consistent run / workout habits. We we men and women, 30, 40 50 years old and more, that showed up for a race----a HALF MARATHON NO LESS!!!--- and that kept moving our feet and legs. No, we weren't picture perfect, or the attention of the cameras (before, during or after the race), but we showed up! And we finished! We ran a freakin' half marathon! And we ran it around 3 hours! GOOD FOR US, PEOPLE! Good for us!
So there you have it. I have some post race pics on my FB page. I have somewhat skinny legs and a chubby tummy, and less than rock hard…… well, less than rock hard ANYthing, except my resolve. And I have a 13.1 Rock N Roll Half Marathon under my belt. I had a goal and I achieved it. It was difficult but I pushed past that. Good for me! Good for me.
(PS. If there is ANYTHING you think you can't do, but really want to do, YOU CAN! You can do it! Set your mind to it and set mini goals and work toward it. You really can do it! And then you can join the, "Good For You," club! I'll initiate you! XOXO!)
